Page 40 of Unhinged

Hannah fell into Fiona’s warm embrace and wrapped her arms around the older woman, soaking up her strength and compassion. Tears sprang to her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed the hug this morning.

Pulling out of her hold, she swiped her fingertips under her eyes, drying the errant tears that had managed to escape.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Fiona lamented. “Go sit down, and I’ll make some tea for you.”

Fiona had already disappeared into the kitchenette, and Hannah headed to her office and dumped her bag into the bottom drawer of the desk. Avoiding the couch where Luke and she had sat just a few days ago, she sank into one of the plush armchairs and closed her eyes.

She heard Fiona enter the room and glanced up to see the woman carrying a tray with two steaming mugs. She set the tray on the small, round table between the chairs then handed Hannah a mug. Hannah gratefully wrapped her hands around the warm porcelain. She let the tea steep another moment before removing the bag and setting it on the tray between them. Working in comfortable silence, Fiona did the same.

Hannah took a small sip, allowing the liquid to warm her from the inside out. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling, but her thoughts kept drifting; first to Audrey, then to Luke.

As she’d tossed and turned last night in the guest room of Andrew’s house, she realized that she wasn’t uncomfortable because she was afraid. No, the discomfort was caused by the man sleeping only a few rooms away. Guilt assailed her, and she needed to address the issue before it consumed her completely.

Andrew was a good friend, and it had been kind of him to offer her a place to stay, but she felt horrible for taking him up on his offer knowing she could give him nothing in return. More than ever, she knew he hoped she would finally agree to go out with him. Instead, it had reinforced her decision to tell him the truth—that there would never be anything between them.

She’d stared at the ceiling until the gray light of dawn began to push away the shadows of night, replaying the events of the evening in her mind over and over. Despite the unsettling events of the past couple of weeks, first the phone call from the murder scene, then the altercation with Steve, she’d been more scared for Audrey than herself.

After all, the man had made no attempt to follow her when she’d run for help. For some reason, the attack against Audrey was personal. He’d wanted to hurt her, but he wasn’t desperate or deranged. Instead of chasing after her to keep her silent, he’d fled even knowing that she’d run for help.

Why? What had Audrey done to attract someone of that nefarious sort? Was someone infatuated with her? That made even less sense. If someone was obsessed with her, they shouldn’t want to harm her. The nature of the assault itself screamed that it was personal but, aside from the divorce, she couldn’t begin to think of what may have prompted the violent act.

Audrey hadn’t been with any lovers since she and Scott had split up. She’d been too torn up over his infidelity, and she’d told Hannah once that it would be a long time before she could trust a man again. Making love was an act of commitment for her, just as it would be for Hannah.

Ruling out a disgruntled lover, who else could it be? Scott, of course, but he’d seemed genuinely distressed last night. Hannah wasn’t an expert on behaviors, but she spoke with enough people on a daily basis—she knew when someone was lying or hiding something. The only thing she’d seen in Scott’s eyes was grief and worry.

She’d told the detectives she would stop in this afternoon to give her statement, so she’d tell them what she thought and see what they could dig up. They were more highly trained and better equipped for that kind of thing.

Now that she knew Audrey was safe, her thoughts turned to Luke. Even when she’d been beside herself with fear, he’d put her at ease, made her feel safe. She couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him again, never feeling the way she had when he’d held her.

His eyes had swept over her, inspecting every inch, and her palms tingled at the memory of his thumb stroking softly over the tender, scraped flesh. She turned her hands over and examined the reddened skin, the tiny abrasions already beginning to heal. She just had to convince him that there was nothing between Andrew and her. What he’d seen was an act of friendship only.

“What happened?”

She traced a finger over the sensitive flesh and offered a small shrug. “I think Luke saw me get out of Andrew’s car this morning.”

A lengthy silence ensued, and she met Fiona’s expression of confusion. She was asking about Audrey, not…

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she quickly spoke up to cover her blunder. “Someone attacked Audrey last night. It was pretty bad.”

Fiona raised her brows. “I caught most of that story on the news this morning, but it sounds like your version of events is much more interesting. Not that Audrey isn’t important,” she rushed to add.

A small smile curled Hannah’s lips. She may as well just tell her. Besides, some good womanly advice might come in handy.

“Well, it’s kind of a long story.” She relayed the events of the previous evening, pouring out every detail. “Anyway, I didn’t want to be home alone last night, so I stayed at Andrew’s. He brought me back to work this morning, but I think Luke saw me get out of the car.”

Fiona finally spoke. “So, by Luke, I assume you’re referring to Mr. Stone, our very handsome new security guard?”

Hannah dropped her eyes to her lap, and she toyed with a non-existent piece of lint on her skirt. “Yes. His name is Luke.”

“And since when are you and Luke on a first name basis?” A mischievous smile curved the receptionist’s mouth, and Hannah couldn’t help the answering grin that spread over her own.

“Since he kissed me last Tuesday.”

Her mouth rounded into an ‘O’ of surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because…” Hannah sighed. “Because I wasn’t sure what to do. He left me his number, so I think he likes me.” She was silent for a moment. “We got off to a bad start, but… he’s a good guy.”

Realization dawned clear and bright on Fiona’s face, and she gestured Hannah’s way. “Would Luke have anything to do with the recent change in your wardrobe?”